Dear Jane, But Make it FPP

Every quilter seems to have that one “mountain” of a project they dream about—or dread. For many, it’s the Dear Jane quilt. Over 225 tiny, intricate blocks? Traditional piecing? Handwork? Pass the seam ripper, right?

But early in my quilting journey, I took it on… with a twist: I foundation paper pieced the whole thing!

I wasn’t about to torture myself with 1" finished blocks and a prayer. I used the now-retired Susan Gatewood website to print FPP patterns for every block. Most translated beautifully—others required a little tweak here and there, and yes, I even dipped my toe into a bit of appliqué when needed (gasp!).

It was a true labor of love, and looking back, I’m still a little stunned I finished it. I had fun with the process, using Tula Pink and lots of strategic fussy quilting! But that quilt taught me so much: precision, patience, and the power of doing things my own way.

If you're thinking about your own version of Dear Jane—or just love hearing the stories behind big quilt journeys—I’d love to hear yours too! Tell me: what quilt has stretched you the most?

Stay cranky & creative,
Jaymi
Cranky Kangaroo 🧵✨

P.S. Thinking about tackling a big project with FPP? Get started with my free tutorials!

The finished quilt top, before adding borders.

Most blocks were able to be paper pieced, but some appliqués were required for certain shapes.

One of the border wedges.

Mid-assembly process!

It’s definitely not a perfect quilt, but it’s a DONE quilt!